Disney Plus’s Marvel original series Secret Invasion, Season 1 Episode 6, called “Home,” explores the story of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his mission to defeat Skrull General Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and to stop his plan to divide and conquer Earth via starting World War III for the Skrulls. The episode begins with Varra (Charlayne Woodard) returning to her damaged home and receiving a call from Gi’ah (Emilia Clarke), disguised as Nick Fury. Gi’ah tells Varra to take care before heading to New Skrullos to confront Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir).
In the hospital, Raava (Nisha Aaliya), still disguised as Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle), attempted to convince U.S. President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney) to order an attack on New Skrullos. Later, acting MI6 Director Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman) warns “Rhodey” that Fury is coming to get the President. “Rhodey” quickly moves Ritson to safety while the real Fury quietly takes down the Secret Service with tranquilizers one by one until only “Rhodey” remains. Finally, Fury and Falsworth convince Ritson to call off the military strike on New Skrullos after killing Raava with a gunshot to the head. What convinced Ritson was how world leaders, military leaders, agency leaders, scientists, soldiers, and many others the Skrulls impersonated were under New Skrullos under lockup.
In New Skrullos, “Fury” confronts Gravik at his Super Skrull machine. Gravik tells “Fury” to remember that Gravik’s human form was the first human Gravik killed. Gravik killed his first human and took on his identity in the past because Fury ordered him to. The Skrull General continued to explain how he once looked up to Fury as his hero, who worked to search for a new home for the Skrulls. However, Gravik gradually saw Fury as a man who used the Skrulls to kill and spy for his enemies, making the Skrulls nothing more than Fury’s tools for 30 years. In other words, Fury’s actions made Gravik hate humanity because he felt Fury turned the Skrull refugees on Earth into exploited slaves sent to fix humanity’s mistakes. For this, Gravik wanted to destroy all of humanity and turn Earth into the Skrulls’ new home, a home where they would not have to pretend to be another species merely to survive.
“Fury” answered that he failed Gravik and decided to make a deal with the Skrull General: Gravik takes the Harvest, conquers another world as the Skrulls’ new home, and leaves Earth alone. “Fury” wants to do this to save the Skrulls and secure their future. Gravik refuses the deal and takes the Harvest to prepare to transform himself into the ultimate Super Skrull, a Skrull with the powers of the Avengers, the Avengers’ allies and friends, Thanos, and Thanos’ Black Order. Gravik administers the sample and transforms himself into the ultimate Super Skrull. Gravik reverts into his Skrull form and uses Hulk’s powers to kill “Fury.” “Fury” blocks the attack and punches Gravik out of the facility with Hulk’s powers.
“Fury” reveals to Gravik to be Gi’ah in disguise. Angry that Gravik killed her parents, Gi’ah and Gravik fight using their new ultimate Super Skrull abilities. However, the duel made both realize they could only use different powers, one arm or leg at a time. The battle ends with Gi’ah using Mantis’ ability to make Gravik temporarily sleep before delivering the killing blow to the Skrull General with Captain Marvel’s powers. In the aftermath, Gi’ah frees the human prisoners: Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman), Colonel James Rhodes, UK Prime Minister Pamela Lawton (Anna Madely), Rosa Dalton, and many others the Skrulls impersonated.
Sometime later, Ritson issued a new bill declaring all off-world species, such as the Skrulls, hostile forces and enemy combatants on Earth. Riston even threatened to destroy the Skrulls and their entire race on Earth. The news created a vast amount of paranoia as many civilians, vigilantes, and militias began to attack and assassinate world leaders, high-profile officials, and Skrull infiltrators like an Among Us game but in real life in a violent way. Fury calls Ritson and scolds the U.S. President for making the situation worse as humanity begins an Among Us war. On the other hand, surviving Skrulls, such as the Skrull that impersonated Councilwoman Shirley Sagar (Seeta Indrani), are fighting for survival. Ritson replies that the anti-off-world alien bill will not stop, and the only way to protect the Skrulls is for them to leave Earth and find a new home.
During the attack, Falsworth meets with Gi’ah and proposes a partnership. Falsworth wants to help the Skrulls but not out of the kindness of her heart. Gi’ah hesitates but cautiously accepts after Falsworth says that the deal will be both Falsworth and Gi’ah using each other to achieve their goals: protect humanity and the Skrulls. Soon, Falsworth and Gi’ah shockingly discover a basement filled with pods of many humans the Skrulls are impersonating.
Finally, Fury starts heading back to the S.A.B.E.R. space station. Before leaving, Fury reconciles with Varra, and both decide to negotiate a peace summit with the Kree. The Kree being open to peace talks with the Skrulls indicate that the persecution of the Skrulls across the Universe might end if the peace summit is successful. Fury recommends his wife to be the diplomat. Varra agrees to join the peace summit and be the Skrulls’ diplomat. Together, the reconciled couple head to S.A.B.E.R. to begin their next mission.
Gi’ah kills Gravik
In Secret Invasion, Director Ali Selim and writers Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker created a sixth and final episode with many stakes in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series. The sixth episode brought in far more tension in the future of the Skrulls now that their existence to humanity and its governments came to light. Gravik’s defeat signaled the end of the Skrulls’ crusade to start World War III and turn Earth into the Skrulls’ new home. However, the consequence of ending the war and humanity discovering the existence of Skrulls on Earth creates a devastating aftermath.
U.S. President Ritson created an anti-off-world alien bill declaring any off-world aliens as invaders that should stay away from Earth. Ritson’s bill indirectly and directly encourages many civilians, vigilantes, and militias to indiscriminately kill world leaders and high-profile officials with justifying beliefs that they are Skrulls. The stupid and dangerous Among Us war would gradually destroy humanity if they continued their paranoid behavior.
The Skrulls’ future is also in Gi’ah’s hands as she likely became the new de-facto leader of the Skrulls following the death of Gravik and most of the Skrull Council. Falsworth looked genuine but manipulative in wanting to help the Skrulls, likely inspired by Fury’s actions to make the Skrulls personal spies and agents for humanity. Nevertheless, Falsworth allows Gi’ah to use Falsworth by making Gi’ah know that the high-ranking MI6 agent herself is not trustworthy. The two agreed on a partnership and worked together to discover a new Skrull human pod chamber, much to Gi’ah’s shock and surprise. The shock might indicate that Gravik made a contingency plan to hide the Skrulls in Earth’s populace or that another secret invasion was being put into motion by Emperor Drogge, a Skrull who reigns a tyrannical Skrull colony somewhere in the Universe. If Emperor Drogge is starting his own Secret Invasion, he likely wants to conquer Earth and reclaim Earth’s Skrulls, who value democracy, under his rule.
The episode also gave a satisfying ending for Fury. Fury firmly reconciles with his wife, Varra, and acknowledges his love for her and her identity as a Skrull. He also decides to let go of being too obsessed with protecting humanity by allowing humanity to take care of the Among Us war. During the chaos, he and Varra will work to secure peace between the Kree and the Skrulls. The Kree Empire was the reason why the Skrulls became persecuted war refugees. The Kree destroyed the Skrulls’ homeworld, Skrullos, and made propaganda stating that the Skrulls are evil shapeshifting aliens within Kree’s galactic imperial territory and outside regions of the Universe. However, one should question if the Kree’s desire for peace with the Skrulls is genuine, as the Kree are the antagonists of the next MCU film, The Marvels.
Rating: 9/10